Patchin up me porch

[zoothorn]

4 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Brick acid like Disclean? Again be bloody careful and wear non absorbent gloves and GOGGLES if not a full face shield. 

 

It's not salts leeching out of the stone is it?

 

 

No way salts. Its layers of (often very old-smelling) calcified lime coating, with plastic paint over the top just as an hors d'ouevre. Its the same substance as stalagmites in worst places, pretty much rock itself.. hence I came to the conclusion the word 'calcified' must be what it is today.

 

I worry that acid might ruin the stone faces tho. The friction of the 50mm wire bit, on my 480w now-fkd-drill, caused burn marks to the stone.. that's how hard I was going at it for 15mins, just to get 5cm sq free of this stuff. I'll look into acid though.

 

I'll have to have a word with my diving-helmet sandblast friend in next valley see.. but maybe it was hired.

[dangti6]

Soda blasting would probably sort that.

 

Although as an outsider from the images on the previous page - I quite like the look of the paint. Appreciate opinion would probably differ if I was living there.

[joe90]

@zoothorn good job that, if the paint/lime won’t budge don’t fret, just paint it again and it will match the cottage outside.

[zoothorn]

12 hours ago, joe90 said:

@zoothorn good job that, if the paint/lime won’t budge don’t fret, just paint it again and it will match the cottage outside.

 

Thanks joe- I think I've made it as presentable as I possibly could, with it being far from the ideal nice flat stone face wall/ very very craggy etc.

 

With this latest mammoth effort to rid this calcified stuff, & stuck, Im 50/50 between continuing.. & fk it whitewash it.

 

It'd sure look more uniform if white, but a nice natural 'different wee room' as it were if I could continue (damn good size 2 x 1.5m & high ceiling). The outside of porch is white, so general white outside of cottage wouldn't be starkly interrupted if natural grey stone inside.

 

I'll wait for a few more suggestions maybe. No rush if I got a month for mortar to cure. Thanks- zoot.

[joe90]

16 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

being far from the ideal nice flat stone face wall/ very very craggy etc.

It’s an old cottage, that’s what they looked like. I remember my first attempt at bricklaying, renovating an old cottage and I was less than pleased with what I did, not as straight etc as I wanted to do but my BCO said if it was dead straight it would stand out like a sore thumb on the old “character full cottage”. Very often working on old properties is a compromise.

[zoothorn]

2 hours ago, joe90 said:

It’s an old cottage, that’s what they looked like. I remember my first attempt at bricklaying, renovating an old cottage and I was less than pleased with what I did, not as straight etc as I wanted to do but my BCO said if it was dead straight it would stand out like a sore thumb on the old “character full cottage”. Very often working on old properties is a compromise.

 

True true. i have some lovely 60's photos of the cottage showing the stonework @ the extention-end wall, before concrete rendered over (+ placcy fired-on paint). Good stonework with much more even stone faces than the porch wall for some reason, which after all is old front wall (before porch added) with its much craggier stone used: I'm not sure why this craggy stone used if the front of house is the 'main looker' & extension end the 'side'. 1830 building regs I guess.

 

I might dig them out & put up.. sweet diddy cottage it was.

 

zoot.

Edited April 20, 2021 by zoothorn

[zoothorn]

This is 1960's.. I have a feeling the limewash white, was just painted over year after year forming this calcified layer. But I'm only guessing. Anyway I really don't see it feasable to remove for a natural grey stone look now, it's a bit beyond my capabilities.

 

You can see the thankfully decent (I hope) stonework on the side, which for some reason has no whitewash on as this faces west (my extention on here) & gets hammered by the weather coming up the valley.

 

 

[zoothorn]

On 19/04/2021 at 20:49, dangti6 said:

Soda blasting would probably sort that.

 

Although as an outsider from the images on the previous page - I quite like the look of the paint. Appreciate opinion would probably differ if I was living there.

 

Hi dangti6.. these sand blast/ soda blast devices.. so you're left with a huge ammount of dusty residue & sand/ or very fine sand flying everywhere? Ive had my share of dust for this job you see.

[Onoff]

Soda blasting residue is used in the States by the ton to sprinkle along railroad lines to keep the weeds down. The operators in fact buy it from the soda blaster companies. Out there you can easily hire a man in a van (read big truck with a tank on the back) to come and blast your walls, car, oak beams etc. 

 

Over here apparently the rail operators aren't interested in buying the residue!

[zoothorn]

@Onoff I bet that's a satisfying job, if you leave the mess to the household. I could do with a sandblast on my doorframe.. the 5 layers of paint going back to 60's are even worse to get off than the calcified stone lime.. jeesusH what an exhausting job this porch has been. Even strong paint remover, twice done aint shifting it.

 

Underneath is the original frame in reasonable condition I hope to resucitate to natural. 1cm of rot to RHS edge though, closest to my new mortar, & 2" of rot at each base (so I dont exactly know how its standing?!) above the hearth old slate step.

[Onoff]

51 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

@Onoff I bet that's a satisfying job, if you leave the mess to the household. I could do with a sandblast on my doorframe.. the 5 layers of paint going back to 60's are even worse to get off than the calcified stone lime.. jeesusH what an exhausting job this porch has been. Even strong paint remover, twice done aint shifting it.

 

Underneath is the original frame in reasonable condition I hope to resucitate to natural. 1cm of rot to RHS edge though, closest to my new mortar, & 2" of rot at each base (so I dont exactly know how its standing?!) above the hearth old slate step.

 

You misunderstand. In the States the contractor soda blasts whatever it may be taking the debris with him which he then sells to the railroad company. It's in the contractors interest to clear up after himself or he's leaving money on the...floor.

 

Be careful stripping your old paint especially with say a hot air gun as the paint could be lead based. 

[zoothorn]

2 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

You misunderstand. In the States the contractor soda blasts whatever it may be taking the debris with him which he then sells to the railroad company. It's in the contractors interest to clear up after himself or he's leaving money on the...floor.

 

Be careful stripping your old paint especially with say a hot air gun as the paint could be lead based. 

 

Ah I get it. It must be heavy enough not to get blasted away & wind taking away then.

 

Just finished the scraping.. most exhausting/ my hands are knackered. Im sure many layers of lead paint, but I hope just kept within the scrapings.. rather than any dust which thankfully didnt happen. No hot air gun- Im too much the pauper for such contraptions.

 

What Im left with now is a just-ok state frame, very hard pine I think & with some character, but filmy white painty residue etc clinging on for dear life. Is white spirit & wire wool the best idea to finish do you know?

[markc]

Frame is possibly pitch pine, try white spirit, or it is possible the primer was shellac based in which case only methalated spirits will dissolve it

[zoothorn]

2 hours ago, markc said:

Frame is possibly pitch pine, try white spirit, or it is possible the primer was shellac based in which case only methalated spirits will dissolve it

 

Ok thanks markc got both so will find out. Pitch pine.. interesting, a new pine variety I'd not known of. It seems to fit the bill indeed googling it, seems almost hardwood strong/ I thought it was oak at 1st. shame it isn't.

 

This old frame stands on 2 squares of slate 2" high.. never seen that before, I guess to keep the frame legs off any damp. Didn't work as the inch above has still mostly rotted mind you.

[Onoff]

Pitch pine is lovely stuff often when it's old. Slow grown, lovely grain pattern, reddish hue and strong.

[zoothorn]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

Pitch pine is lovely stuff often when it's old. Slow grown, lovely grain pattern, reddish hue and strong.

 

Well that again fits the bill.. esp being 1830. Tight grains too. I'd pretty much dismissed it as 'boring pine' until markc mentioned 'pitch pine'. I had it in mind to paint over again as I thought well if its just pine/ cannot be much of a looker.

 

So I'll try harder now to get it natural, & hopefully, with a ton more elbow grease.. get it just about presentable 'natural'.

[joe90]

I have an old chest of drawers in pitch pine, lovely stuff full of resin (which is another reason it lasts longer). 

[Onoff]

You might need to apply some knotting solution (over any knots) to stop any resin leaking out. Mind you, after 191 years I'm not sure that'll be an issue...

[zoothorn]

12 hours ago, joe90 said:

I have an old chest of drawers in pitch pine, lovely stuff full of resin (which is another reason it lasts longer). 

 

I recall Im sure we had one in family growing up.. real vintage character. Pitch pine- funny how its 1st time Ive heard of it (Chester Drawers.. a great comedy name too- cant recall where I heard it. fast show?).

 

@Onoff I think the resin thing is ok, sunny porch/ front so might have dried. I do need to replace the plant-ons tho.. the usual pse pine will stick out & lower the standard I'm sure tho. Do you get hardwood maybe oak ones I wonder ?

[zoothorn]

I think Ive done as much as I can, & although flaws galore/ a hole top left, its rotted rhs edge 1 cm all the way down, plus rot at both bottoms of legs.. its just about passable. Well it'll have to be " very characterful".. ie a bit crappy.

 

Shame to add new pse plant-ons on.. but any alternative I wonder?

 

Meths was best. So now its all smooth & as clean as i can get it.. just leave as it is? Or is it worth 1 osmo oil coat? Or furniture polish? Only got enough for 1 osmo coat.

 

thanks zooter.

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by zoothorn

[Onoff]

Would this be any good I wonder?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ronseal-wet-rot-wood-hardener-clear-500ml/63540?

[zoothorn]

8 minutes ago, Onoff said:

Would this be any good I wonder?

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/ronseal-wet-rot-wood-hardener-clear-500ml/63540?

 

Hadnt heard of this before. But if I'm not intending to fill (which I guess the idea being, is to paint over the filler). Its clear which is good.

 

Another good suggestion Onoff as per usual- appreciated.

 

Either way. would you leave frame natural? even with the darkish stains top rhs (unable to remove).. or paint over? it is a bit of a dog's dinner.

[zoothorn]

I do have a whopping great door offset for my plant- on to follow. Both door is warped, & frame base is kicked in a bit too exacerbating the offset. Hmm..

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zoothorn]

Next is to fit lino I have ready. Its a bit of an uneven concrete floor twds edges, but a prayer double seat will be here over it.. the rest is passably flat. Any tips welcome.

 

thanks zh

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by zoothorn

[Onoff]

2 hours ago, zoothorn said:

a prayer double seat will be here over it

 

I read that as a double prayer seat?

 

If you're putting something wood in there then I'd either have it freestanding or if it's going tight against the walls make sure there's s damp proof membrane on the wooden edges and put some vents in any enclosed spaces you may construct. 

 

From here that door/frame looks bloody good. I'd maybe go with a decent , breathable, exterior wood stain to uniform the colour all over a bit.